Explain It to Me
Should I buy a house? Why do I say “like” so much? Should Gen Z bother to save for retirement?
Explain It to Me is the hotline for the issues that matter to your life. Send us your questions about health, personal finance, relationships, and anything else that matters to you. Host Jonquilyn Hill will take you on a journey to find the answers, whether it's to the halls of Congress or the local bar. You’ll get the answers you were looking for, and sometimes ones you didn't expect — and always with a dose of humor. New episodes every Sunday. Part of Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
1
Should we give toddlers phones?
What we know about early childhood and screens, including a surprising argument for introducing tech at a tender age.
26 min
2
Is empathy toxic?
Society teaches us empathy is a good thing. But some are now saying the opposite, and science is complicating our assumptions too.
26 min
3
Who is the modern American dad?
Young men are more interested in becoming parents than young women are, and there's a growing number of single dads by choice. A look at modern fatherhood.
25 min
4
A nation of jerks
Americans seem to be getting ruder. Are our attempts at making ourselves better actually making us worse?
26 min
5
Why horror kills at the box office
Hollywood has always made money from vampires and brain-eating zombies. But this year's a record-breaker thanks to sequels, hilariously unlikely creators, and pure thrills.
26 min
6
The United States is Southern now
From #rushtok to country music, American culture is getting more and more southern.
26 min
7
The golden age of exercise
Americans are flocking to gyms and fitness classes. It wasn't always that way.
27 min
8
Hacking our health
We track our steps and our sleep, guzzle supplements and protein shakes, and even inject hormones – all in the name of wellness.
27 min
9
What wellness costs us
Americans are investing billions in their health and wellness. What good do all these green powders and costly club memberships actually do?
26 min
10
America’s high-speed rail fail
26 min
11
Is tipping fair?
From raising the tipped minimum wage to "no tax on tips," we look at the challenges of remaking tipped work.
27 min
12
The summer I turned into a bookworm
Summer. Time for pools, BBQs, and the beach read. But why do we read "summer books"?
27 min
13
Chat BFF
More and more of us are interacting with chatbots. Can we have real relationships with AI, and can AI teach humans to be better people?
27 min
14
Our complicated relationship with the flag
Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar openly celebrate the American flag. But a lot of Black Americans feel differently. What does that tell us about identity today?
27 min
15
Can we ever know our dogs?
So many of us believe we understand what our pets are feeling. Are we fooling ourselves?
27 min
16
Sleepaway camp's nostalgia economy
Unpacking the American rite of passage that so many children love — but that isn't right for everyone.
27 min
17
Let's fight over bike lanes
A caller asks why it's so hard to make biking safe in LA. We bike around different US cities to get the answer.
27 min
18
The recession indicator game
Press-on nails, new music from Katy Perry, and an uptick in Klarna purchases: signs of an economic downturn or no?
27 min
19
How Gen Z found religion
For the first time in decades, American Christianity is not in decline. What are young people looking for–and finding–at church?
27 min
20
Why are my allergies getting worse?
It feels like sneezing season lasts longer and takes more victims every year. An allergist and a public health specialist explain how to fight back.
25 min
21
The drama and trauma of 23andMe
With the at-home DNA testing company 23andMe filing for bankruptcy, what happens to all the data millions of Americans handed over? And how should you approach the family you've found through sites like these?
27 min
22
Why is personal style so hard?
Fashion has made a big swing from a strict set of rules to the idea that we should all just wear what we want. But personal style is still dictated by outside forces. And a lot of people don't even know where to start.
26 min
23
Retire? In this economy?!
With 401(k)s taking a hit and the fate of Social Security uncertain, we get some advice for how to talk to the elders in your life about work and retirement.
26 min
24
Is climate progress doomed?
Many worry that the clean energy transition will be derailed by the Trump administration. But there's reason to believe otherwise.
25 min
25
What if college isn't for everyone?
For decades, high schools and parents have prioritized college for all graduating seniors. Now, more students are asking if there's another way.
26 min